Boracay hijacked?
Prophetic or not, I did warn authorities about allowing the Boracay shutdown and clean-up to become a means for vested interest groups to turn Boracay into the playground of the rich instead of regular Filipinos we fondly label as “Mga Turistang Kanin.” There is now a growing suspicion that what started out as an anti pollution operation is beginning to look like a very sophisticated collusion among people interested in building
“World class at World class price” tourist facilities especially for gambling junkets. The question is: Were people in Malacañang Palace misled, misinformed or “used” as a means to a wicked end? Or is it a chance for Big Business and Casino operators to “hijack” the most beautiful beach in the world?
I recently watched a documentary where the Philippines was labeled as a favorite go to place for money laundering particularly casinos because they are barely regulated concerning money laundering. Presto: there is now a Mega Casino Hotel going up in Boracay! Now we hear of PR companies inviting government officials and Media personalities to “visit” the world class Boracay their clients have in mind. Will the “Clean-up” ultimately turn out to be a “Kick Out” campaign against unwanted competition as well as a squeeze on local property owners to sellout because of their failure or inability to meet soon to be implemented stringent requirements from the DENR, DILG and DOT?
The growing concern with the possibility of collusion is not far fetched in a country where the government once adopted a policy that requires any tourist establishment to undertake and present an Environmental Impact study and assessment so they could get the approval of the DENR. It did not take long to discover that the same people who pushed for the requirement were also the pioneers and sole providers of such studies. As a result those favored few really hit pay dirt until the “gaya-gaya” mentality in Philippine business resulted in many more experts showing up and driving professional fees to the ground.
The same story came out of the Anti-Smoke Belching and smoke emissions requirement of the government which I am told was the brain child of several retiring and retired Police generals during the time. First they pushed for the LTO to make it mandatory, suggested to the LTO to undertake the set up of Emissions Testing centers in their districts. The strange part was the LTO then had enough equipment for seven offices but none were set up for long terms operations. The Generals subsequently set up their own testing facilities all over the country using dummies.
Another highly suspicious campaign is the Jeepney Modernization program because it centers on product replacement and not total rehabilitation of the vehicles, drivers, route system and the loading and unloading. The mere fact that the plan focuses on a “Jeepney style” replacement defies global safety and manufacturing standards and stinks of a “Tailor-fit “requirement made for a specific tailor or local talyer! Just to skip controversy or effort, the government merely lays down the law and conveniently opens a window for credit instead of paying for the cost the same way other governments actually buy the phased out product; whether they be cars, toilet bowl, or the likes. But we have not read or heard of a serious REEDUCATION program for Jeepney drivers!
I humbly suggest to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Secretary Bong Go and Secretary Wanda Teo to look closely into this growing concern and suspicion. Not only will it steal the thunder from President Duterte’s positive efforts and political will to fix Boracay, we might one day wake up to discover that we have been invaded and priced out of Boracay by foreign junket gamblers and operators.
* * * Given how millions of Filipinos will be on the move this week, I invite our female readers to take note of the extreme lack of toilets for women in proportion to men as well as the poor planning and design of Filipino architects and builders! Every year I visit no less than 25 provinces or locations for BMeg to conduct training seminars on Backyard Hog Raising. On every occasion, I always see women forming long lines presumably just to take a leak. In contrast the men’s toilets are rarely full and the cubicles with commodes are often not in use. On at least two occasions, I’ve directed the women to go ahead and use the cubicles just to reduce the long cues!
We have so many women in the Senate and Congress, who voted to pass the Divorce bill, but I have not heard a single female legislator stand up and demand that architects, builders, LGUs as well as the national building code be subject to review or revision to insure that more toilets are built for women based on user habits and experience! Kindly focus on real life daily concerns because the lack of toilets particularly for young girls and women is one of the reasons we have a national problem with Urinary Tract Infection as well as complications of the kidney!
I also call the attention of the same Female legislators to do some comparison or review of foreign TV shows versus local TV shows that are seen or watched by children. I noticed that foreign shows regulate what is performed and shown based on content being Child appropriate or friendly. Dance numbers in particular are child oriented and innocent or technical - NEVER SENSUAL or SEXY! In the Philippines, what adult males see inside girlee bars are portrayed or incorporated into the TV programs and contests FOR or BY Kids! I sincerely and humbly call on the MTRCB to please act on this. “Sexy dancing” has become so implanted in our culture and way of life that people no longer think anything of it to the point that when Children do it people find it amusing. That is sick!
* * * E-mail: utalk2ctalk@gmail.com